


just to put a smile on you

by iphigenias



Category: The Good Doctor (TV 2017)
Genre: Ableism, Coffee Shops, F/F, Getting Together, Male-Female Friendship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-17
Updated: 2017-11-17
Packaged: 2019-02-03 12:39:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,121
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12748491
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/iphigenias/pseuds/iphigenias
Summary: “So. Never had a relationship, huh? You know, that’s not a bad thing.”“I know it’s not.” Shaun carefully places a marshmallow in the centre of his hot chocolate and stirs methodically until it dissolves. “But Kalu said it was weird.”“Well, Kalu doesn’t know what he’s talking about,” Carly says hotly. Shaun smiles at her.“That’s what Claire said too.”





	just to put a smile on you

**Author's Note:**

> claire and carly are shaun's lesbian mums sorry i don't make the rules
> 
> title is from bruno mars' 'that's what i like'

“Hey, Carly,” Gina says in a low voice over the computer on their shared desk. “Creepazoid’s here.”

Carly glances over her shoulder to see Dr. Shaun Murphy hovering awkwardly behind the glass partition. “Don’t call him that,” she tells Gina, frowning, but the other women just rolls her eyes and goes back to her work. Carly huffs and pushes her wheeled chair over to the window. “Hey Shaun,” she smiles, feeling her eyes crinkle. She hopes he didn’t hear what Gina said.

“Hello Carly,” he says, drumming his fingers against his thigh. “Do you have the lab results I sent down?”

Carly grins. “Sure do kid, hang on a second.” She pushes off from the wall and wheels back over to her desk, grabbing the first few pages from the top of the paperwork pile. Technically she isn’t meant to give priority to anyone who sends down data for her to analyse, but she’d seen Shaun’s name on the top of the biopsy order sheet and then it had simply been a matter of shuffling her tasks around so she could get to his first. She stands, tucking her chair under her desk and walking over to hand the results to Shaun. “Here you go. Her levels look good, maybe a little high here and here,” she points to the data on the page, “But I don’t think you have too much to worry about post-op.”

“It looks fine, thank you,” Shaun says, folding the pages and sticking them into his coat pocket. He doesn’t move away from the partition.

“Can I… help you with anything else?” Carly asks, leaning her elbows against the counter. If Shaun was anyone else she’d say he looks nervous.

“Kalu and Claire were talking about their past relationships and they asked me and I’ve never had one so I want to ask you on a date,” he replies in a rush, voice loud enough to cause several of Carly’s co-workers to crane their heads and look.

“Oh, Shaun, I…” Carly trails off. “You’re a really nice guy, and you’re my friend, but you’re just… not my type. I’m sorry.”

“Okay.” Shaun doesn’t look disappointed but he’s always hard to read and Carly doesn’t want to take that chance.

“Wait, Shaun.” Carly slips out the side door of the lab and walks over to where Shaun is standing. “It’s not you, okay? You’re a charming, handsome, intelligent guy, and any girl would be lucky to have you. But just… not me. Because it’s not that I don’t like you, it’s that I don’t like guys, period.”

It takes Shaun a moment to understand but he smiles when he does. “So you’re a lesbian?”

This time, Carly can feel the eyes of every single person in the room burning through the back of her skull. “Could’ve gone without announcing it to the whole hospital but yes, I am.”

“Oh, I’m sorry,” Shaun says. “Did you not want people to know?”

“No it’s… not a secret. Just private, I guess. But don’t worry, it’s fine.” She pats him on the arm. “Listen, I finish here at five, how about we meet in the cafeteria for coffee?”

“I don’t like coffee,” Shaun informs her.

“Well, what do you like?”

“Hot chocolate,” he replies immediately. Carly laughs.

“Okay. How about we meet in the cafeteria for coffee and hot chocolate?”

“Okay,” Shaun smiles. “See you then.” He leaves without another word. Carly shakes her head in amusement. She can’t imagine what he’d be like in an operating theatre, but with a brain as big as he one he has, she’s sure he isn’t anything but an asset to the hospital staff.

“These biopsies aren’t going to analyse themselves,” Gina calls through the glass. Carly rolls her eyes.

“Fuck off, Gina,” she says under her breath, before slipping back into the lab to resume her work.

*

Shaun is already there when Carly enters the cafeteria at two minutes past five. He waves at her from his seat and keeps his hand in the air until she’s standing right next to him. “Hey, you,” she grins. “You ordered yet?”

“Yes I did in case you were late.”

“Good call. I’ll be right back.” Carly dumps her bag on the chair opposite Shaun, grabs her purse, and hurries over to the counter to order her flat white. She returns, moves her bag to the floor and flops into her seat with a huff. “Christ, I thought today would never end.”

“All days end, why would today be any different?” Shaun asks, frowning.

“It’s, well, an expression. Just means that today wasn’t very fun and the time dragged on more than usual.” Carly grins at him. “Ever happen to you?”

“No, my time always passes at a uniform rate,” Shaun tells her. “But I’ve had not-fun days sometimes.”

The waitress brings over their drinks and Carly curls her fingers around the warm mug gratefully. “They’re the worst,” she says, taking a sip and feeling the caffeine flow through her bloodstream. “So. Never had a relationship, huh? You know, that’s not a bad thing.”

“I know it’s not.” Shaun carefully places a marshmallow in the centre of his hot chocolate and stirs methodically until it dissolves. “But Kalu said it was weird.”

“Well, Kalu doesn’t know what he’s talking about,” Carly says hotly. Shaun smiles at her.

“That’s what Claire said too.”

“Good. I’m glad someone on your team has common sense.”

Carly drains the second half of her coffee in one go. Shaun is taking careful, measured sips of his hot chocolate, ostensibly to avoid a milk moustache. Carly bites back a smile at the image.

“Is it something that you’d want? A girlfriend?”  

“I’ve never had one so how can I know if I want one until I do?”

“That’s…” Carly trails off. “That’s a good point, actually. I’ve never really thought of it that way.” She laces her hands together on the table top. “Do you think you would _like_ a girlfriend?”

“I think so. It seems nice.”

Carly laughs. “It is nice, I promise. You just have to wait for the right girl. Or, you know, guy, if you’re into that. That’s okay.”

Shaun tilts his head, considering. “I don’t know.”

“That’s okay too,” Carly says softly, smiling. Shaun returns it between sips of hot chocolate.

“You’re always nice to me. Thank you for being my friend.”

“You’re welcome, Shaun.” Carly reaches across the table and places her hand over his. “Thank you for being my friend too.” He smiles into the rim of his cup. They sit there together for another ten minutes, trading stories about their days, until Shaun’s pager goes off and he hurries away to save a life, or whatever it is surgeons do. Carly shakes her head at his retreating figure, grinning, and heads home.

*

It becomes a routine for them. Carly likes to think she’s one of Shaun’s closest friends at the hospital, which is nice, because he’s become one of hers. (Gina was in desperate need of replacing.) After a few catch-ups where Shaun doesn’t go more than a minute without mentioning Dr. Browne, Carly rolls her eyes and asks whether Claire would like to join them too. Shaun agrees enthusiastically and sure enough, when for once Carly arrives at the cafeteria first, Shaun and Claire enter together and order before coming over to her table.

“Hey Carly,” Claire grins, a greeting Carly returns. She hasn’t had much to do with Claire but the few times they’ve met she’s always struck Carly as a kind, good-hearted person; the exactly kind of person Shaun needs in his life. It doesn’t hurt that she’s easy on the eyes, either. Carly laughs quietly to herself at the realisation that she and Shaun have the same taste in women.

“So how’s working in the lab?” Claire asks once they have their drinks. Carly laughs.

“Not as fun as being a surgeon would be.” Claire rolls her eyes.

“Yeah, but at least you don’t have Melendez breathing down your neck.”

“Nope, just this one when he’s after results,” Carly says, jerking her head in Shaun’s direction. Claire laughs, softly and prettily. Carly pushes down the sudden urge to tuck her hair behind her ears.

“Carly’s always very nice and does mine first,” Shaun informs Claire, who grins and raises her eyebrows at Carly.

“I thought that wasn’t allowed.”

Carly shrugs. “Perks of not having your boss around to tell you off.”

“Ugh, I wish.”

The conversation about work drifts into questions on family, education, and everything else under the sun. Carly has to stop herself from scooting her chair closer to Claire’s every time the latter smiles. _She’s Shaun’s crush_ , Carly reminds herself, as childish as it sounds.  She’s Shaun’s crush, and you’re Shaun’s friend. Claire is off-limits.

Just as she’s reminding herself of that fact for what feels like the twelfth time that afternoon, Claire mentions offhandedly that she’s bisexual. Carly almost drops her coffee. Shaun is looking at her expectantly, and when she doesn’t respond, he turns to Claire. “Carly’s a lesbian. She told me.”

“Oh!” Claire pauses, clearly unsure. “That’s, um, great?” She glances between Shaun and Carly. “Wait, are you—is this a set up?” She looks back to Shaun. “Are you trying to set us up?”  

“Yes,” Shaun says simply, and this time Carly _does_ drop her coffee.

“But… I thought _you_ liked Claire!” God, it sounds so middle-school out loud.

“No, I like Lea,” Shaun says. “I told you.”

“I just thought you were being subtle!” Carly looks at Claire, who is pink in the face and staring determinedly at her coffee. “I’m sorry, I had no idea… you coming here was _my_ idea, I don’t even know how this happened…”

“I planted the suggestion in your brain by continually referencing Claire in our conversations,” Shaun informs her. “Dr. Glassman told me I needed to immerse myself in social interaction so I read three books on social psychology.”

“Wait.” Carly holds up her hand. “So all of it… you weren’t really asking me out?”

“No, I was asking you out. I didn’t know you were a lesbian then.”

“Oh.” Carly sinks back into her chair. “Um, wow, Shaun, that’s… that’s actually kind of nice? But just because Claire and I both like girls it doesn’t mean, you know… we’re automatically perfect for each other.” Claire is looking at her and Carly can’t meet her eyes.

“I know,” says Shaun. “But you’re both my friends and I thought it would be nice if you were friends who were girlfriends. You don’t have to if you don’t want to.” Just then, his pager goes off. Claire’s stays silent. “Okay, I have to go now. I’ll see you Thursday.” He hurries out of the cafeteria.

“Um,” says Claire, perfectly summarising Carly’s emotional state. “I mean, he meant well.”

Carly laughs nervously, tucking her hair behind her ears. “He did.”

“And, I mean… I could go for another coffee, if you wanted?”

Carly meets Claire’s gaze to find her smiling. “Yeah,” she smiles back. “I’d like that.”

*

A month later, Shaun, Carly, and Claire meet for coffee and hot chocolate. Shaun updates the both of them on the latest items of furniture he’s acquired for his apartment, and doesn’t mention Lea once (though he does namedrop several times her tall, muscular cousin Luke who came to stay over the weekend). When he heads to the counter to order a second hot chocolate, Claire leans over and wipes her thumb over the corner of Carly’s mouth.

“Foam?” Carly asks. Claire nods, grinning. “You weren’t paying attention to a thing he was saying, were you?”

“Maybe. Or maybe I was distracted by my girlfriend making a mess of herself.”

Carly rolls her eyes. “Uh huh. You know, if you keep this up I’m just going to have to un-invite you from cafeteria catch-up time.”

Claire raises her eyebrows. “You wouldn’t dare.” Carly leans forward, swipes a finger through the chocolate powdered foam on Claire’s cappuccino and licks it off.

“Make me.”

“Mm hmm.” Claire scoots her chair close, leans in until Carly can smell her perfume. “I’ve heard those words before.”

“Not from anyone other than me, I hope,” Carly says, just getting the words out before Claire closes the distance between them. Her lips taste like coffee and antibacterial soap. Carly rocks back on her hands just as Shaun rejoins them, feeling herself blush. “Stop gloating,” she informs him. All he does is shrug.

“Would it be socially unacceptable to say ‘I told you so’?”

“Yes,” says Carly, at the exact same time as Claire grins and says, “Nope, not at all.”

“Okay.” Shaun smiles. “Told you so.”

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Sometimes Things That Are Accidental Are Better](https://archiveofourown.org/works/13264143) by [meta_mish](https://archiveofourown.org/users/meta_mish/pseuds/meta_mish)




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